Consistent hashing

Consistent hashing is a technique used in distributed systems to efficiently distribute data across multiple servers. Imagine a circular table where each server sits at a point on the edge. Data is assigned to servers based on their position on the circle. When you add or remove a server, only a small portion of the data needs to be reassigned, minimizing the disruption. This helps maintain balance and reduces the need for extensive data movement, making it ideal for scalable applications like web caching or load balancing, where server numbers can change frequently.